Bell CH-135 (CUH-1N) helicopter. Photo by Santiago Rivas.
El Espectador has reported: “On November 27, 2018, at 2:45 in the morning, an operation of 200 men, between members of the Police and the National Army, who landed in two helicopters, captured [eight social leaders who raised concerns about the social and environmental impacts of Toronto-based Frontera Energy] in San Luis de Palenque.”
Earlier that month, Frontera Energy had signed two agreements with the Ministry of Defence for a total of US $1.3 million to secure army protection for its activities.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst reported to the UN Human Rights Council: “The Special Rapporteur is concerned at the apparent connection between Frontera Energy, the army’s 16th brigade and the Attorney General’s Support Office in this criminalization.”
Notably, the 16th Brigade is “charged with defending oil drilling operations” in Colombia, according to a 1993 report by Human Rights Watch.
What helicopters were used in the operation that arrested the social leaders? We ask because it is possible that they were helicopters manufactured in Canada.
Waterloo, Ontario-based Project Ploughshares has previously reported in this briefing that Canada sold 40 surplus Bell CH-135 Huey II military helicopters to Colombia via the United States between September 1998 and February 2000. That briefing also notes that Canada shipped 12 Bell 212 helicopters from Mirabel, Quebec to the Colombian police and military between 1994 and 1996.
The type of helicopter used by the Colombian police and army to detain the social leaders critical of a Canadian corporation could be a question for the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a federal Crown corporation that facilitates exports.
But regrettably, Ottawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese has reported: “The Ottawa-based CCC [Canadian Commercial Corporation], which helps Canadian exporters get contracts with foreign governments … acknowledges it conducts no follow-up to ensure exported Canadian-built equipment isn’t being used to abuse human rights.”
As such, it’s not likely the Canadian Commercial Corporation has looked into the possibility that Canadian-made helicopters were used to criminalize and hold captive these social leaders for more than 500 days.
On September 16, 2020, El Nuevo Oriente reported: “Due to expiration of terms when more than 500 days have elapsed without a formal trial having been installed, a guarantee control judge ordered the release of the eight social leaders prosecuted in the middle of a lawsuit by the oil company Frontera Energy in San Luis de Palenque (Casanare).”
The article also noted: “The release decision was appealed by the Prosecutor’s Office and by Frontera Energy’s lawyers.”
This community struggle has been accompanied by two organizations: the Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) and the Social Corporation for Community Advisory and Training Services (COSPACC).
PBI-Colombia accompanies both the CSPP and COSPACC.
We continue to research and learn what we can about this situation.
Bell 212 (UH-1H) helicopter. Photo by Paul Filmer.
